Fix Notion Markdown Import Cannot Handle Code Block Language Specifier

When you import a Markdown file into Notion, code blocks that include a language specifier — such as “`python or “`javascript — often lose that specifier and appear as plain code blocks with no syntax highlighting. This happens because Notion’s import parser does not read the language identifier that follows the opening triple backticks. Instead, it treats the entire line as part of the code content. This article explains why the specifier is dropped and provides a reliable workaround to preserve syntax highlighting in imported code blocks.

Why Notion Drops the Language Specifier During Markdown Import

Notion’s Markdown import parser follows a simplified version of the CommonMark specification. In CommonMark, a fenced code block begins with three or more backticks. The optional language specifier that follows the opening backticks — for example, python in ```python — is intended to indicate the programming language for syntax highlighting. However, Notion’s parser does not extract this specifier. Instead, it includes the entire ```python line as the first line of the code block content. As a result, the imported code block displays the language specifier as literal text inside the block, and the block itself has no language assigned. This behavior is a known limitation of the import feature. The parser also ignores other CommonMark extensions such as line-number attributes and custom info strings.

How the Parser Handles Backticks

When Notion encounters a line starting with three backticks, it begins a code block. It then reads every subsequent line as code until it finds a closing fence of three or more backticks. The parser does not examine the text after the opening backticks for a language identifier. This means that ```python, ```javascript, and ``` are all treated identically: the opening fence is recognized, but the specifier is consumed as part of the code content. After import, the code block appears with the specifier text visible at the top, and the block’s language property remains unset.

Three Methods to Restore Language Specifiers After Import

Method 1: Modify the Markdown File Before Import

The fastest way to avoid the specifier issue is to remove all language specifiers from the Markdown file before importing it into Notion. After import, you can manually assign the correct language to each code block. This method is best when you have a small number of code blocks.

1. Open the Markdown file in a plain text editor
   Use Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on Mac, or any code editor such as Visual Studio Code.
2. Find all lines that start with three backticks followed by a language name
   Search for the pattern ```[a-zA-Z]. In Visual Studio Code, use the regex search and enter ```\w+.
3. Replace each matching line with just three backticks
   Change ```python to ```. Do the same for every language specifier.
4. Save the modified file
   Keep the original file as a backup in case you need to re-import later.
5. Import the file into Notion
   Go to the workspace where you want the page. Click Import in the top-right corner and select Markdown. Choose the modified file.
6. Click each code block and set the language
   Hover over the code block, click the ⋮⋮ handle on the left, and select the correct language from the dropdown menu.

Method 2: Use the Notion API to Create Code Blocks With Language

If you have many code blocks or need to automate the process, use the Notion API. This method requires a Notion integration token and basic familiarity with HTTP requests. You can write a script in Python or JavaScript that reads the Markdown file, splits it into blocks, and sends each code block to the API with the correct language property.

1. Create a Notion integration
   Go to www.notion.so/my-integrations and click + New integration. Give it a name and select the workspace. Copy the Internal Integration Secret token.
2. Share the target page with the integration
   Open the page where you want to add code blocks. Click Share in the top-right corner, then Add connections, and select your integration.
3. Parse the Markdown file and extract code blocks with their language specifiers
   Write a script that reads the file line by line. When it finds a line matching ```language, capture the language name and collect all lines until the closing ```.
4. Send each code block via the API
   Use the blocks.children.append endpoint with a request body that includes a code block object. Set the language field to the specifier you captured. For example, for Python set "language": "python".
5. Run the script and verify the output
   After the script completes, open the Notion page and confirm that each code block shows the correct syntax highlighting.

Method 3: Manually Edit Each Code Block After Import

If you have already imported the file and cannot re-import, you can fix each code block manually. This method is time-consuming but does not require any external tools.

1. Open the imported page in Notion
   Navigate to the page that contains the code blocks.
2. Locate a code block that shows the language specifier as text
   Look for a line like python or javascript at the top of the code block.
3. Delete the specifier line from the code block content
   Click inside the code block, select the first line that contains the language name, and press Delete.
4. Assign the correct language to the block
   Hover over the code block, click the ⋮⋮ handle on the left, and choose the language from the dropdown menu.
5. Repeat for every code block on the page
   This step can be tedious if you have many blocks. Consider using Method 1 or 2 for large files.

If Notion Still Shows the Specifier as Text After Fixing

Code Block Content Includes Extra Backticks

Sometimes the imported code block contains extra backtick lines that were part of the original Markdown. This can happen if the original file used four backticks instead of three, or if the closing fence was missing. To fix this, delete any lines that are not actual code. Ensure that the code block contains only the code you want, and that the opening and closing fences are exactly three backticks.

Language Specifier Was Embedded in the Code Itself

If the Markdown file used a format like ``` {.python} or ```python {.numberLines}, Notion may include the entire string as part of the code. In this case, delete the extra characters from the first line of the code block. Then assign the language manually using the block menu.

Import Process Created a Code Block Inside Another Block

Rarely, the import may nest a code block inside a callout or a toggle. If the specifier appears inside a different block type, drag the code block out of the container using the drag handle. Then apply the language fix as described in Method 3.

Markdown Import Methods: Manual vs API vs Third-Party Tools

Item	Manual Find-and-Replace + Re-import	Notion API Script	Third-Party Converter (e.g., md-to-notion)
Setup time	5 minutes	30–60 minutes	10 minutes
Preserves language specifier automatically	No	Yes	Depends on tool
Requires coding	No	Yes	No
Best for	Small files with few code blocks	Large files or repeated imports	Users comfortable with CLI tools
Risk of data loss	Low if you backup the original file	Low if script handles errors	Medium if converter modifies content

You can now import Markdown files into Notion without losing code block language specifiers. Start by modifying the file before import if you have only a few blocks. For larger projects, write a script that uses the Notion API to set the language property directly. As an advanced tip, use the blocks.children.append endpoint with a code block object that includes both rich_text and language fields — this gives you full control over the imported code block structure.